Villa Ružička

This is another cultural monument from Dobrna’s history that only gives us a vague idea of its past glory. Just a short walk from the centre of the town towards Hudičev graben (Devil's Ditch) you will see ruins on the right side of the road. They are now almost completely hidden by vegetation.

The villa was built on the spot of the erstwhile Grobelnik farm by Count Aichelburg in the mid-19th century. Later it was purchased by engineer Heider, the constructor of the Zidani most railway bridge. For a long time, the building was known as Villa Heider. In 1913, the villa was purchased by a family of Jewish Romanian immigrants, the Ružička family, who lived there until World War II .

Ružička was a renowned numismatist and it is no surprise that the first meeting of Yugoslav archaeologists was held in his villa in 1922. In World War II , the family's property was confiscated by the Germans and the villa was abandoned. Today, it is privately owned and has sadly been left to ruin.